Opinion polls predicted Ferguson only second place, and the victory was given to the Labor candidate, but, in the end, 37,353 voters voted for the architect (31,259 for his rival). He became the first mayor of Bristol elected as a result of direct voting: until now, the head of administration was elected by the city council (and its composition was already determined by the residents). A change in city legislation was made after the referendum. In the mayoral elections, citizens indicated the first and second "favorite" candidates: in case of a small gap between the two "leaders" of the elections, both of the votes cast are counted. A total of 15 candidates participated in the elections, of which 8 were independent (including Ferguson).
George Ferguson, President of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) from 2003-2005, won a lot of sympathy even outside the professional community when he successfully promoted the importance of quality architecture in the media. But in Bristol, he is better known as a defender of heritage and the author of successful projects for the reconstruction of former industrial zones, which were implemented with the opposition of the authorities in favor of the demolition of historical industrial structures. Ferguson himself even bought the last remaining building of the W. D. & H. O. Wills and turned it into a multifunctional complex with a Tobacco Factory cultural component.
During the election campaign, George Ferguson positioned himself as a successful entrepreneur, since, in his opinion, the general public still often considers architects to be only the authors of buildings that are published in magazines. But he also gave the example of the Brazilian architect Jaimi Lerner, the mayor of Curitiba, who transformed the city.
During his "tenure" as mayor, Ferguson will stop working in his Ferguson Mann Architects workshop: instead, he will receive a salary of 65,738 pounds a year.
George Ferguson received the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Elizabeth II in 2010 for his services in architecture and community service. Even to this awards ceremony, he came in red trousers, which he always wears.
N. F.
